Friendly Request FormsUsers hate request forms, for the same reason why everyone hates tax-filing-forms!  All the complicated request forms are ignored and users simply call or email the helpdesk.  Technicians end up taking calls or have to deal with data spread over emails. A few points to consider while designing request formsSimple forms with selectable incident type and descriptionGet all information about users using helpdesk and asset management solutionPrompt users to refer the knowledge base on related topics before filing the request.Request form is the best way to get organized information from users. Keep the forms simple and to the point to reduce incoming call and email volumes.Minimize Manual Request DispatchManual Dispatch is not only exhausting and tedious, requests waiting for dispatch leaves less time for technicians to resolve issues. Automating dispatch and routing the request to the right technician using helpdesk workflow helps technicians to get more time to resolve issues and meet SLAs.  Automatic dispatch needs to be intelligent enough to route tickets based on email address, content, category or any such classifications.  Stop manual request dispatching, before it kills someone.Empower Every Technician to DeliverEmpower every technician to help users get over problems with work around and solutions. It is important for Work Around to be shared across technicians. Get a process in place and make sure helpdesk software has provisions for easy sharing. Never get yourself in a situation where you have to depend on one technician to resolve specific cases. Have a Weekly/ fortnightly

Just when we were ready to take the PinkVerify / PinkScan Certification, OGC announced ITIL Certification for software vendors. Now OGC owns ITIL or directs ITIL so it becomes the most obvious choice.  For the first time since the creation of the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) over 20 years ago, the OGC have given their official endorsement for an ITIL product compliance scheme to audit Vendor products, documentation and processes against the published best practices of ITIL (v2 and v3).Unlike PinkElephant, OGC Is Not Transparent PinkElephant had a clearly defined process with evaluation criteria and they charged for consulting if we failed to comply. It was straight forward, software vendors can focus and release a service pack to make sure that the product complied. OGC is not transparent, and there are so many ways to interpret a standard. Do I get to see the questions beforehand?  No. The questions will remain with the Licensed Assessor and only be asked at the time of the assessment. The Vendor should treat the tool assessment element as if they were demonstrating to a prospective client how they adhere to ITIL. This is to ensure a level playing field where some vendors have more